Educate the Public
Not only do we educate Congress about Taiwan, we educate the American public. Many Americans are unaware of Taiwan’s history and current international political situation, which affects not only Taiwan but the United States and other nations. If we fail to speak, other people will, and their voices, not ours, will shape Americans’ perception of Taiwan.
Write to the Editor
If you disagree with an article, write a letter to the editor! Simply because somebody is a journalist does not guarantee that she/he is knowledgeable about Taiwan and equipped to write a fair or accurate article. Yet, his/her article(s) may be the only source of information for thousands—or even hundreds of thousands—of readers. Thus, writing a letter to the editor serves two purposes: First, it informs the editor that you expect better informed articles on Taiwan, and second, if published, it informs readers that the article is not representative of all voices (or facts), either here or in Taiwan.
If you prefer to focus on your own perspective or analysis rather than somebody else’s, consider writing an op-ed—an editorial that does not represent the opinion of a publication but of one individual writer (who may or may not be affiliated with the publication). An op-ed can be read as an independent piece and often explores general socio-political trends or interrelated themes in greater depth than a letter, which primarily (and briefly) responds to a specific article. As a result, op-eds tend to be longer than letters, usually in the realm of several hundred words.
How to Write a Letter or an Op-Ed
Newspapers have varying requirements for letters and op-eds, so check specific guidelines. (The New York Times, for example, caps the maximum length of a letter at 150 words and suggests a length of 650 words for an op-ed.) In general, be concise: If you can use six words instead of twenty, opt for the former. For the sake of clarity, cite your general argument and, if you’re writing a letter, the title of the article to which you are responding in the first sentence or two. Also, many newspapers allow and even prefer you to submit writing via email or web form.
If you do not know how to contact the media, use FAPA’s Capwiz Media Guide, which allows you to search for both local and national individuals and organizations. Also, Communications Consortium Media Center posts “submission criteria for the top 100 newspapers,” in the United States which includes contact information, length requirements, and submission/acceptance policies.
For examples, visit Letters to the Editor in Publications. You can also read letters written by FAPA members.
Finally, don’t forget to share your letters and editorials with us by emailing them to ...@ypg.fapa.org. One of the benefits of maintaining a YPG website is that we can distribute our own media, regardless of whether it is accepted for publication elsewhere.
“Help! I still have no idea how to write a letter or an op-ed!”
No need to worry. For those of you who enjoy the basic “How to…” above but would benefit from more specific guidelines, check out the compiled tips below!
If these guidelines fails to address your question or you need help with a particular piece of writing, contact our Media Presence Chair, Ketty Chen, at kc...@ypg.fapa.org.
General Tips
- Adhere to any stated requirements for submitting letters or editorials, including word limits and providing contact information.
- The timeliness of your writing can increase its chances of being published. Write about current events and respond to editorials and articles soon after they are published, preferably within a week.
- Always be respectful of other viewpoints in your writing; write as if you were sharing ideas in front of a professor and classmates.
- Use clear and simple language; avoid technical terms and uncommon acronyms.
- Usually, writing can be submitted through email. If you do not know how to contact the media, use FAPA’s Capwiz Media Guide, which allows you to search for both local and national individuals and organizations.
- Don’t be discouraged if your writing is not published; it still alerts the media to better report on the topic in the future.
- Feel free to email Ketty Chen for help on your writing. We can help structure and fact-check your writing.
Tips for Writing Letters to the Editor in Response to Editorials and News Stories
- Sharing unique viewpoints and experiences is usually better than sermonizing in generalities.
- Letters should at most be a few hundred words and reference specific points of the article or editorial to which the letter responds. Check submission requirements.
- Remember to include the name, date, and author of the article to which you are responding. For example, you can begin your letter by stating, “I am writing in response to John Doe’s piece titled “Taiwan’s International Space” published on January 10th, 2008.”
- Editors usually will not contact you if your letter is published. Exceptions include The New York Times.
Tips for Writing Editorials
- Editorials are more effective if you can show that you have expertise on the topic or if you have personal experience related to the topic.
- Many editors require that you not publish or not to have published your editorial elsewhere.
- Think broadly about where to publish your editorial. It would be great if The Wall Street Journal published your piece, but publishing your piece in a local or school newspaper is also effective and admirable. Also, consider publishing your writing on purely electronic media on the internet.
- Editors may or may not contact you if your editorial is published.
